Coyote attacks spur safety precautions in Tustin

Taped-up flyers around the Laurelwood neighborhood in Tustin warn residents about the dangers of coyotes, following numerous sightings and attacks. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Hany Girgis walks his dog Blaze in Laurelwood Park in Tustin, the site of at least one coyote attack that killed a small dog last week. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Taped-up flyers around the Laurelwood neighborhood in Tustin warn residents about the dangers of coyotes, following numerous sightings and attacks. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Taped-up flyers around the Laurelwood neighborhood in Tustin warn residents about the dangers of coyotes, following numerous sightings and attacks. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A photo that hangs in the Germain's Tustin home shows their dogs Flea, left, and Tonka sitting together before Flea was killed by a coyote in September. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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A lone coyote stands on a grassy hill overlooking Alicia Parkway in Laguna Hills in this photo from September. JEFFREY ANTENORE, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Joyce Germain's dog, Flea, was attacked by a coyote on Sept. 18 in her Tustin neighborhood of Laurelwood. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE GERMAIN

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Joyce Germain's dog, Flea, was attacked by a coyote on Sept. 18 in her Tustin neighborhood of Laurelwood. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE GERMAIN

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Joyce Germain's dog, Flea, was attacked by a coyote on Sept. 18 in her Tustin neighborhood of Laurelwood. Flea was taken to the emergency veterinarian but died the next day. PHOTO COURTESY OF JOYCE GERMAIN

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Coyotes were spotted at a home in Lemon Heights, in the unincorporated area north of Tustin, the morning of Oct. 3. PHOTO COURTESY OF TOM GUNCKEL

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This photo of a coyote carrying a chicken in its mouth was taken at about 9:45 a.m. Oct. 1 near Arroyo Elementary School in North Tustin. PHOTO COURTESY OF TRACY MILLER

TUSTIN – Joyce Germain was with her dog, Flea, on her front lawn about 4 a.m. last month when she saw a coyote heading toward them.

She yelled and scared the creature away. As the coyote ran off, Flea took off after it. The coyote turned, scooped up the nine-pound Chihuahua-Papillon mix, and headed toward a neighborhood park.

That's where Germain's husband, Jonathan, found the coyote. The animal dropped Flea, and Jonathan Germain rushed the dog to the veterinarian. Flea died the next day.

Flea was the third small dog in the community to be attacked by a coyote in the past month, said Pam Hunt, who works for the Laurelwood neighborhood's homeowners association.

"They're real brazen. They're getting very bold," Hunt said.

So far this year, Tustin police have recorded 13 coyote sightings, including a pack of five or six coyotes near Bryan Avenue and Jamboree Road, about 2 miles from Laurelwood. Residents speculate that coyote encounters will increase as construction expands at the Tustin Legacy development and the Tustin Ranch Road extension through the former Marine base.

Coyote sightings tend to increase at this time of the year, said Ryan Drabek, director of OC Animal Care. In the spring, coyotes give birth and by summer and fall the pups are adolescents and going out on their own.

They tend to hunt in the late evening to early dawn, said Tustin police Lt. Paul Garaven.

They blocked storm drains, including one known for decades as Coyote Creek, where coyotes had traveled.

The Rossmoor Homeowners Association also hired trappers when other methods failed.

That made a big difference, said David Lara, who founded the team with his wife, Rebecca.

These days, residents don't see stray cats outside or small dogs unaccompanied in yards. And coyote sightings have gone down.

"People are very aware," Lara said. "They go with them when they go to the bathroom, and put lights in the back yard so if a coyote jumps the fence the light will go on."

Tustin communities are taking similar measures. Tustin police, the city and the Irvine Co. worked together to clean Katherine Spur, an abandoned railroad right-of-way that passes near Laurelwood and Peppertree. Workers trimmed bushes, picked up fallen fruit, and mowed the grass so birds of prey can easily spot rodents. That eliminates some food for coyotes and makes the area less desirable.

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